Many Times ScamScam A Scam is a confidence trick - a crime - is an attempt to defraud a person or group after first gaining their trust through deception. Scams or confidence tricks exploit victims using their credulity, naïveté, compassion, vanity, irresponsibility, or greed and exploiting that. Researchers have defined confidence tricks as "a distinctive species of fraudulent conduct ... intending to further voluntary exchanges that are not mutually beneficial", as they "benefit con operators ('con men' - criminals) at the expense of their victims (the 'marks')". A scam is a crime even if no money was lost. Victims Will Get A Call From Someone Claiming To Be From The FBI
These are often from call center scammers trying to pull a new scam on existing victims or on the general public.
Do Phone Scammers Pretend to be FBI Agents?
Yes, phone scammers often pretend to be FBI agents or other law enforcement officials in order to defraud individuals. This type of scam, known as “imposterImposter An impersonator is someone who imitates or copies the behavior or actions of another. There are many reasons for impersonating someone, such as: part of a criminal act such as identity theft, online impersonation scam, or other fraud. This is usually where the criminal is trying to assume the identity of another, in order to commit fraud, such as accessing confidential information or to gain property not belonging to them. Also known as social engineering and impostors. FraudFraud In law, fraud is intentional deception to secure unfair or unlawful gain (money or other assets), or to deprive a victim of a legal right. Fraud can violate civil law (e.g., a fraud victim may sue the fraud perpetrator to avoid the fraud or recover monetary compensation) or criminal law (e.g., a fraud perpetrator may be prosecuted and imprisoned by governmental authorities), or it may cause no loss of money, property, or legal right but still be an element of another civil or criminal wrong. The purpose of fraud may be monetary gain or other benefits, for example by obtaining a passport, travel document, or driver's license, or mortgage fraud, where the perpetrator may attempt to qualify for a mortgage by way of false statements. A fraud can also be a hoax, which is a distinct concept that involves deliberate deception without the intention of gain or of materially damaging or depriving a victim. or Government ImpersonationImpersonation An impersonator is someone who imitates or copies the behavior or actions of another. There are many reasons for impersonating someone, such as: part of a criminal act such as identity theft, online impersonation scam, or other fraud. This is usually where the criminal is trying to assume the identity of another, in order to commit fraud, such as accessing confidential information or to gain property not belonging to them. Also known as social engineering and impostors. Scam,” involves a scammerScammer A Scammer or Fraudster is someone that engages in deception to obtain money or achieve another objective. They are criminals that attempt to deceive a victim into sending more or performing some other activity that benefits the scammer. pretending to be a representative of a legitimate organization, such as the FBI, in order to obtain personal information or money from the victim.
In these scams, the scammer may claim that the victim has committed a crime or that there is a problem with their bank account or is following up on an investigation, and then ask for personal information or payment in order to resolve the issue. They may also threaten the victim with arrest or legal action if they do not cooperate.
It is important to be aware of these types of scams and to remember that the FBI and other law enforcement agencies do not contact individuals over the phone to demand payment or personal information. If you receive a suspicious call from someone claiming to be an FBI agent, do not provide any personal information and hang up immediately. You can report the call to the FBI at https://tips.fbi.gov/.
The FBI Won’t Ask You For Money — That’s A Scam
Unwanted calls are annoying — but when a caller says they’re an FBI agent collecting on a legal judgment entered against you, it’s also scary. No matter how urgent and serious the call sounds, neither the judgment nor the agent is real. Like other impersonation scams, FBI imposters are after your money and personal information, and they might even threaten to arrest you unless you pay immediately. (Again: it’s not real.) Read on to learn to spot the scam.
Scammers will try to get you to act first and think later. If you get a call like this:
- Know that government agencies don’t call and demand money or personal information. Even if you owe money, real government representatives won’t call to threaten to arrest you, freezeFreeze Trauma Freeze Response: While fight-or-flight is the better-known way humans respond to certain stressful stimuli, the additional less known third response "FREEZE", was not as widely studied until this last decade. Freezing as a response to a threat might seem effective, a sort of “playing dead” in the face of danger; however, in humans freezing manifests as an inability to communicate, react, make decisions, or take any action of self-preservation or defense. your accounts, or take your property.
- Never pay anyone who tells you to pay with gift cards, cryptocurrency, or wire transfers. No government agency, including the FBI, demands payment that way. Anyone who does is a scammer. Always.
- Don’t trust caller ID. Scammers use technology to fake the number they call from. Never call back phone numbers from your caller ID or voicemails.
- Check with the FBI if you think the call or email is real. If you’re worried, contact one of the FBI field offices to check out the call.
How Can You Spot A Fake FBI Agent That Calls You?
There are several ways to spot a fake FBI agent:
- Lack Of Proper Identification: FBI agents are required to carry official identification at all times. If the person claiming to be an agent does not have proper identification, or if the identification appears to be fake or altered, they are likely not a legitimate agent.
- Inability To Provide Details About Their Work: Real FBI agents should be able to provide detailed information about their work and the FBI in general. If the person claiming to be an agent cannot provide specific information or seems unsure about basic details, they may be a fraud.
- Requiring Payment Or Personal Information: The FBI does not require payment or personal information from individuals in exchange for its services. If the person claiming to be an agent asks for payment or personal information, they are likely a fraud.
- Unprofessional BehaviorBehavior Behavior / Behavioral Actions Otherwise known as habits, behavior or behavioral actions are strategies to help prevent online exploitation that target behavior, such as social engineering of victims. Changing your behavior is the ONLY effective means to reduce or prevent scams.: FBI agents are expected to maintain a professional demeanor at all times. If the person claiming to be an agent is rude, aggressive, or disrespectful, they may not be a legitimate agent.
- Strong Foreign Accent: FBI agents are very well trained and educated. They speak professionally and will be clearly understandable. If someone speaks with a thick accent and uses unfamiliar jargon or slang they are not an FBI agent.
If you are ever in doubt about the authenticity of an FBI agent, you can contact your local FBI field office to verify their identity. You can also report any suspicious activity to the FBI at https://tips.fbi.gov/.
TIPS:
- Call the local field office and ask to be transferred to them.
- If they’re telling you they are an agent, ask them for their work email address as you have a police report you’d like to email them. If it doesn’t end in fbi.gov, there is your answer. No FBI agent uses Gmail or anything other than FBI.gov
How to Tell if an FBI Badge Is Real
Special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) carry official badges that identify them as working for the organization.
Official FBI Badge – Source FBI
However, there are counterfeit FBI badges that look authentic and are easily available for purchase online. Websites like Amazon have a policy against these counterfeit items, but they continue to flood the internet. With a fake badge and identification card, someone can impersonate an FBI agent and carry out crimes including home invasion robberies, child abductions or terrorist acts. Knowing what to look for in an authentic FBI badge can make all the difference in the safety and security of you and your family.
Impersonating a federal agent to take advantage of or otherwise deceive someone is a specific federal crime. If convicted, the person doing so can receive a fine and up to three years in prison.
TIP:
- Ask the person on the phone to text or message you a photo of their badge and ID card. A real agent would not do that, since it violates federal law.
- Ask them for their badge number. Actually, they will have an ID Number. It will be on the FBI ID card. Having this will make it easier to call the local FBI field office and ask to speak to that Special Agent. Contact one of the FBI field offices to check out the call. If they say they do not have such a number it is a scammer.
- Ask them for their “military rank” – FBI agents do not have one, but a scammer will not know that.
If they show you a badge in person or in a photo:
If someone claiming to be an FBI agent flashes a badge, get a closer look at it. A real FBI agent won’t hand you the badge outright, but will allow you to view it from a slight distance. If you are in your home, make sure to look at the badge through a window or peephole and do not open the door until you are certain you are talking to a real FBI agent.
Remember, it is against federal law to photograph or duplicate federal ID cards (this includes the military too.)
Real Badge Small Details
We include this just for your curiosity!
The details of the agent’s badge:
- The FBI Badge will come in a small billfold with the agent’s identification card.
- An authentic FBI badge is small in size and gold in color.
- The badge should read “Federal Bureau of Investigation” in full at the top. If it is abbreviated to read “FBI,” the badge is a fake.
- Also, if the gold looks chipped or dull, chances are it is made of cheaper materials than the organization’s official badge which means it is likely fraudulent.
- Everything on the badge should be embossed (pressed in), but not engraved.
- The badge should have a bald eagle at the top with a blindfolded Lady Justice directly underneath and at the middle of the badge holding a scale and torch. She should be flanked by the letters “U” and “S” on either side.
- At the bottom of the badge, the words “Department of Justice” should appear.
Real I.D. Card Small Details
Accompanying the badge will be the agent’s identification card. It will contain the agent’s name, badge number and photo. Make sure the photo matches the face of the agent who is holding it.
Fraudulent cards can look pretty close to the real thing. The best way to ensure an FBI card and badge are legitimate is to contact an FBI field office and ask for verification of the agent’s badge number and identity.
To locate an FBI field office near you, consult an online directory on www.FBI.gov or visit the FBI’s website. If the FBI field office can’t identify the agent with the information you’ve given, make sure to call 911 and report the incident immediately to your local policeLocal Police The Local Police is your first responder in most countries. In most English-speaking countries and in Europe report to them first. In other countries look for your national cybercrime police units to report scams to. In the U.S., Canada, & Australia, you must report to the local police first..
Some Basic FAQ Facts That Every FBI Agent Would Know
When was the FBI founded?
On July 26, 1908, Attorney General Charles J. Bonaparte appointed an unnamed force of special agents to be the investigative force of the Department of Justice. The FBI evolved from this small group.
How is the FBI organized?
The FBI is headquartered in Washington, D.C. The offices and divisions at FBI Headquarters provide direction and support to 56 field offices in big cities, more than 350 smaller offices known as resident agencies, several specialized field installations, and more than 60 liaison offices in other countries known as legal attachés.
How many people work for the FBI?
The FBI employs approximately 35,000 people, including special agents and support professionals such as intelligence analysts, language specialists, scientists, and information technology specialists.
Is the FBI a type of national police force?
The public may refer to the FBI as a national police force for the United States, but it is not. Scammers would not know that.
The FBI is a national security organization that works closely with many partners around the country and across the globe to address the most serious security threats facing the nation. We are one of many federal agencies with law enforcement responsibilities.
Summary
This should give you enough information to verify if an FBI Agent is real or a scammer!
Stay safe out there!
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SCARS GREEN BOOK
Self-Help Self-Paced Recovery Program Guide
LEARN HOW TO RECOVER ON YOUR OWN
This program is designed to help scam victims struggling to recover on their own and for those who want to understand the overall process. You can be using other resources, such as traumaTrauma Emotional and psychological trauma is the result of extraordinarily stressful events that shatter your sense of security, making you feel helpless in a dangerous world. Psychological trauma can leave you struggling with upsetting emotions, memories, and anxiety that won’t go away. It can also leave you feeling numb, disconnected, and unable to trust other people. Traumatic experiences often involve a threat to life or safety or other emotional shocks, but any situation that leaves you feeling overwhelmed and isolated can result in trauma, even if it doesn’t involve physical harm. It’s not the objective circumstances that determine whether an event is traumatic, but your subjective emotional experience of the event. The more frightened and helpless you feel, the more likely you are to be traumatized. Trauma requires treatment, either through counseling or therapy or through trauma-oriented support programs, such as those offered by SCARS. counselingCounseling Counseling is the professional guidance of the individual by utilizing psychological methods especially in collecting case history data, using various techniques of the personal interview, and testing interests and aptitudes. A mental health counselor (MHC), or counselor, is a person who works with individuals and groups to promote optimum mental and emotional health. Such persons may help individuals deal with issues associated with addiction and substance abuse; family, parenting, and marital problems; stress management; self-esteem; and aging. They may also work with "Social Workers", "Psychiatrists", and "Psychologists". SCARS does not provide mental health counseling. or therapy, qualified support groupsSupport Groups In a support group, members provide each other with various types of help, usually nonprofessional and nonmaterial, for a particular shared, usually burdensome, characteristic, such as romance scams. Members with the same issues can come together for sharing coping strategies, to feel more empowered and for a sense of community. The help may take the form of providing and evaluating relevant information, relating personal experiences, listening to and accepting others' experiences, providing sympathetic understanding and establishing social networks. A support group may also work to inform the public or engage in advocacy. They can be supervised or not. SCARS support groups are moderated by the SCARS Team and or volunteers., or completely independent – on your own!
The SCARS Steps program is a complete program and is provided for the purpose of helping scam victims to overcome this experience. Throughout this SCARS Steps Program, we speak about issues and challenges that a victim may have and help guide them through their recovery. But each person is different and it is important to understand your own reasons for being vulnerable to being scammed.
After the trauma of being scammed, you need to take steps to recover and move on. This may be an alternative to counseling in the short term, but we still encourage you to seek out professional help & support. Throughout this SCARS Steps Program, we speak about issues, challenges, defects, or problems that a victim may have in a generalized way.
The SCARS GREEN BOOK will help you recover from your scam offline and it will always be there when you need it!
SCARS SLATE BOOK – Let Us Explain What Happened!
A Guide For Families & Friends Of Scam Victims
HOW TO HELP ROMANCE SCAM VICTIMS FOR FAMILIES & FRIENDS OF SCAM VICTIMS
This SCARS Publishing book represents a complete guide to help the families and friends understand how these scams work and how to help the victim.
The SCARS Slate Book should be purchased by family and friends to better understand what happened to the victim and the traumatic impact on them. But it can also be shared by the victim so that they do not have to explain to family and friends about the scam. This publication is to help others to help Scam Victims to make it through this traumatic experience and recover.
Each person is different and it is important to understand how relationship scamsRelationship Scam A Relationship Scam is a one-to-one criminal act that involves a trust relationship and uses deception & manipulation to get a victim to give to the criminal something of value, such as money! Click here to learn more: What Is A Relationship Scam? work and why people are vulnerable; to being scammed, how they were lured in, then groomed and manipulated. This understanding is essential in helping them through the process of ending the scam and then on to recovery. The SCARS Slate Book will provide the information necessary to help support a victim through this process.
SCARS RED BOOK
Your Personal Scam Evidence & Crime Record Organizer
ORGANIZE YOUR INFORMATION TO MAKE THE REPORTING PROCESS SIMPLE!
Helps you get and stay organized. This publication is to help Scam Victims organize their crime information. Complete this information before reporting to the police then bring this book with you
Before or after reporting to the police the RED BOOK gives you a dedicated tool to record all the essential facts of this crime. The Victim, the Scammers, the Money, and your Police interactions. Everything that really matters can be easily recorded for your immediate use and for the future!
As we have seen, money recovery/repayment programs can become available years after the scam ends and you need to keep all the details of this crime in case it is needed. We have also seen scammers being extradited to the U.S. and other countries, this will help in the event you testify or give statements, Additionally, this helps you have your information ready to qualify for victims’ benefits, compensation, or aid.
The Official SCARS RED BOOK is your way of recording all the important facts of this crime so that you do not lose essential information, Complete the RED BOOK then put it away with the confidence that you will have it if or when it is needed.
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By the Society of Citizens Against Relationship ScamsSCARS SCARS - Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. A government registered crime victims' assistance & crime prevention nonprofit organization based in Miami, Florida, U.S.A. SCARS supports the victims of scams worldwide and through its partners in more than 60 countries around the world. Incorporated in 2015, its team has 30 years of continuous experience educating and supporting scam victims. Visit www.AgainstScams.org to learn more about SCARS. Inc.
A Worldwide Crime Victims Assistance & Crime Prevention Nonprofit Organization Headquartered In Miami Florida USA & Monterrey NL Mexico, with Partners In More Than 60 Countries
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